The House of the Vestals

Roma Sub Rosa #6

by Steven Saylor

The first of Saylor's short story collections featuring Gordianus the FinderIt is Ancient Rome, and Gordianus the Finder has a knack for finding trouble. Known to many as the one man in the ancient world who can both keep a secret and uncover one, Gordianus lays bare some of his most intriguing and compelling adventures.The House of the Vestals collects nine of the award-winning stories of Gordianus the Finder by critically acclaimed, bestselling author Steven Saylor. Filling in some of the gaps between novels, this delightful collection of unique and unforgetable mysteries is Saylor at his finest - revealing the intrigues in the secret history of Rome.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery, Short Stories, Crime

242 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Steven Saylor is the author of the long running Roma Sub Rosa series featuring Gordianus the Finder, as well as the New York Times bestselling novel, Roma and its follow-up, Empire. He has appeared as an on-air expert on Roman history and life on The History Channel.

Saylor was born in Texas and graduated with high honors from The University of Texas at Austin, where he studied history and classics. He divides his time between Berkeley, California, and Austin, Texas.

Reviews

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This exciting collection of Roman mysteries is the 5th volume, chronologically wise, of the amazing "Roma sub Rosa" series, featuring the determined seeker of the truth, Gordianus the Finder, while also appearing as a kind of clever detective is his concubine, Bethesda, and not to forget his mute but quick-witted adopted son called, Eco.

Story-telling is excellent, the mysteries are fast-paced, and the historical details with real historical and fascinating fictional figures featuring in these brutal times of history, all these factors are wonderfully interwoven to make this book such a fantastic read.

At the beginning of the book you'll see a foreword explaining about where to place this book in the series, which is set between 80 till 72 BC.

At the back of the book you'll notice a Chronology and Historical Notes, all with details concerning these delightful mysteries.

Like I mentioned before these mysteries are set between the years 80 till 72 BC, after Roman Blood but before Arms of Nemesis, and this book is filled with nine short stories.

These short story mysteries are delightful and easy to read, with very likeable outcomes and with various new figures, one being the ex-gladiator and slave, Belbo, now part of the family, and not to forget Gordianus's new patrician friend from the Claudian clan, Lucius Claudius.

What is follow is a wonderful variety of Roman mysteries set in the Roman Republic, short fast-paced mysteries which are also very educative and informative, and at the same time the solving of these cases are always a joy when you find out and read the end results of each investigation case.

Very much recommended to all who like Roman mysteries presented in a most explicable and captivating manner, and that's why I like to call these tales: "Very Enjoyable Roman Short Story Mysteries"!

[Ana Cristina Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buena colección de relatos protagonizada por el detective de la Antigua Roma Gordiano el Sabueso. Al mismo tiempo aporta nueva información sobre su vida, por ejemplo sobre su hijo adoptivo Eco o cómo conoció a su esposa Bethesda, que completa lo que sabemos por las novelas anteriores de la serie.

Los temas que se tratan son muy diversos y la resolución de los casos ingeniosa.

El gato de Alejandría
Explica cómo conoció a su esposa Bethesda, cuando era esclava en Alejandría, mientras investigaba la muerte de un gato sagrado para los egipcios.

La muerte lleva máscara
Eco, el hijo de Gordiano, contribuye a la resolución de un asesinato en el teatro.

El cuento de la cámara del tesoro
Bethesda relata un cuento egipcio sobre el rey Rampsinito y su cámara del tesoro.

La última voluntad no siempre es la mejor
El noble Lucio Claudio pide ayuda a Gordiano.

Los lémures
Un antiguo soldado se ve acosado por los espíritus de sus víctimas durante la guerra civil de Sila.

El pequeño César y los piratas
Gordiano hace de intermediario en un secuestro. En esta historia se relata cómo conoce a su esclavo y guardaespaldas Belbo.

La desaparición de la plata de las Saturnales
Gordiano ayuda al noble Lucio Claudio a recuperar unos objetos de plata realizados para las fiestas Saturnales.

El zángano y la miel
Mientras pasan unas vacaciones en la finca de Lucio Claudio, Gordiano y Eco tienen que investigar la muerte de otro invitado, que se sospecha que ha sido envenenado.

La casa de las vestales
Gordiano tiene que acudir al Templo de Vesta en mitad de la noche, para investigar la acusación de que Lucio Sergio Catilina ha tenido una relación con una vestal, lo cual es un crimen gravísimo en Roma.

[Alicja · Rating 4 out of 5]

rating: 4/5

Even though his full length novel mysteries are better than these short stories, I think its just the way of mystery writing. Mysteries are better the more involved and complex they are. Saying that, these short stories were still filled with amazing characters, back stories, the sights and sounds of ancient Rome, interesting ancient Rome and Egypt trivia, cats, and Eco solving his very own first case at the age of 10! I can't help but be captivated by the world Saylor weaves, a world that is as real and vivid as reality when I sit there with my eyes glued to the page.

Death Wears a Mask: The classic murder at the theatre. Eco's first solved case... not only did he solve it before Gordianus did but he did it at 10 and was so adorable at it too. Ah, how I love Eco! And the case wasn't bad either. :P

The Tale of the Treasure House: Short story told by Bethesda about a mystery in ancient Egypt. Interesting. Makes me wonder if it is based on a real myth... must research.

A Will is a Way: Oh, nice! Another one that presents the Roman legal system in its true light. I learned so much, and saw what Roman brand of justice feels like. Plus I met Lucius Claudius, whom I like a lot (and know from peeking at future reviews that I'll get to see again).

The Lemures: So, lemurs seem to be a cross between a ghost and a zombie. Huh? It was an okay case but, well, I had it figured out early.

Little Caesar and the Pirates: I figured the mystery out early, but still got into the horror. Plus, awesome characters. Love Belbo! And was it my imagination or was Gordianus seduced by Cleon's "soulful green eyes"? Had much fun reading this one!

The Disappearance of the Saturnalia Silver: Another one of those that brings on a historical punch in the most fun of ways. Saturnalia, beats Christmas celebrations anytime. Not only do you get gifts but also get drunk, gamble, and masters serve their slaves. The Romans truly knew how to party. And Bethesda solved a case and received a silver bracelet gift from an admirer. Loved it!!

King Bee and Honey: "Numa's balls!" - I always appreciate creative cursing in historical fiction (although so far none surpass Uhtred's filthy mouth). The case was okay but Eco being all cute and behaving like a hormonal pre-teen made up for it. Ah, little Eco is growing up.

The Alexandrian Cat: Vengeance on the kitty killer!! "There are those in the world who love cats, and those who love dogs, and never shall the two close ranks." I think its pretty obvious where I fall on the cat/dog lover scale...

House of the Vestals: Gordianus among virgins and *female* frogs. Great little mystery. And, aww Eco, Sapho is his favorite!!

Can't wait to submerge myself into Saylor's Rome again!

[Mary Heron · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining collection of.short stories featuring Gordianus the finder. They all take place after the events in book one Roman Blood and are a mix of Gordianus recounting past cases to mysteries which have a very easy solution (once you think on it) it's nice.to.see Gordianus new friend Luscious and to see Eco become a young teen blossoming under the care of Gordianus and Bethsheba............... Ready for the.next book in the series now............

[Marta Clemente · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mais uma série de interessantes contos com o nosso Gordiano, o descobridor.
São sempre agradáveis estes livrinhos. Steven Saylor consegue muito bem "passar-nos" o ambiente da Roma Antiga.
Gostei especialmente da nota histórica final, em que tal como nos outros livros o autor faz um excelente enquadramento histórico dos acontecimentos e das personagens.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short stories featuring Gordianus The Finder. I felt like the puzzles were a little too easy. The ambience of Ancient Rome makes up for it a little, though.

[Vicki Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a series of short stories dealing with Gordianus' life between the end of Roman Blood and the beginning of Arms of Nemesis. Eco is still mute but can communicate well with Gordianus by gesture. Lucius Claudius, Gordianus' patrician friend who leaves him a farm in Catilina's Riddle is in many of these stories. The final one, "The House of the Vestals" includes Catilina as well as Cicero, where Gordianus has to solve a murder committed in the House of the Vestals. Another good one is "King Bee and Honey," which has a lot of Roman lore about bees (mostly erroneous).

[Shannon]

A collection of short tales focusing on Gordianus the Finder. My favorite was the investigation in Egypt.

Audio narration by Ralph Cosham.

MY GRADE: B plus.

[Timons Esaias · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sixth of the Roma Sub Rosa series, featuring Gordianus the Finder (Gordianus Inventor?), and the sixth that I have read. The others were novels, but this is a collection of short stories that fill in some of the gaps between the earlier novels.

Each of the stories stems from some ancient reference: from a detail in Cicero's speeches, or an incident in Herodotus, or a tale from Plutarch or Suetonius. I do admire that turning of history into story; and I like Saylor's general conceit of using political watershed events as the core of his works (sometimes Gordianus is involved in the event itself, sometimes his "case" is peripheral). Saylor does his research, and I like travelling to Republican Rome to linger in that world for a while.

If my students were to read these stories, though, they'd be wondering about style details, and yes, I'm sometimes annoyed by the tropes. One of the stories uses "careen" incorrectly, though a later story correctly employs "career" in a similar circumstance. There are three grimaces, and a great heaping pile of crossed arms. POV sighs and facial expressions have occurred. Check with your doctor to see if you are healthy enough to read past that stuff, which is not horrible in this volume, just weak.

I was very pleased by Saylor using subtle red herrings to surprise the reader. At least twice he laid down a detail that one was sure would be the basis of the crime, and then pulled an entirely different quadruped out of his toga. These books are solid pleasure reading events, and I'm looking forward to the seventh. (yeah, I'm only about 20 years behind...)

[Tita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Releitura 2023: 4 Estrelas
Vejam a minha opinião em vídeo, AQUI.



1ª leitur 2015: 4 Estrelas
Este livro foi uma agradável surpresa pois, como não tinha lido a sinopse, não fazia ideia que este livro era constituído por uma série de pequenos contos sobre o passado, entre os outros livros da série, de Gordiano.
Através das pequenas histórias, com crimes e mistérios que Gordiano desvenda, vamos conhecendo mais sobre a vida deste com as restantes personagens, como exemplo, como conhecer o seu guarda-costas Belbo.
Para além disso, Steven Saylon consegue interligar acontecimentos histórias nestas pequenas histórias. Tal como no final, temos ainda uma cronologia de Gordiano e uma nota histórica muito interessante.
Foi uma agradável leitura.

[Kevin Findley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short stories to accompany the series of novels. Good writing, but I now wish I had read the two full-length books I have before this one.

The Roman detective, Gordianus, is interesting enough that Saylor could write a historical novel about him without the hook of a mystery. Politics, daily life, etc., anything could make for an interesting tale, IMHO anyway. His supporting household cast of Bethesda and Eco are more important than many supporting characters in other series. They certainly hold their own when necessary.

Well worth your time.

Find it. Buy it. Read it!

[Ivana Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice collection of short stories- a few of the solutions to thje puzzles are blatantly obvious but maybe that's because of the number of mystery novels I read. As per normal with Saylor, ancient Rome is wonderfully brought to life. While not as enjoyable as 'Roman Blood' was, this collection is certainly worth picking up for the historical detail. Thankfully the next in the set is back to being a full-length novel.

[Renske Janssen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the rather low rating, I really enjoyed this book, and the short stories frequently made me smile. The mysteries were a less complicated than those in the full-length novels (which is why my rating has suffered a bit), but they were still very atmospheric.

[Rui · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foi para aliviar o stress. Magnífico, como sempre. Tal como prometia, estes contos ajudaram a ligar alguns pontos interessantes. Obrigado, Steven.

[Ines Amendoeira · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Valorie Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The House of the Vestals, Rome’s best finder Gordianus is back in a series of short stories full of political intrigue, murder, theft, and mystery. Set in between the novels Roman Blood and Arms of Nemesis, The House of the Vestals update readers on what Gordianus has been up to in the years that pass between the two books.

In Death Wears a Mask, Gordianus tracks a murderer who targeted an actor in between play scenes. Bethesda tells the story of a King’s missing treasure in The Tale of the Treasure House. Rich Patrician Lucius Claudius, who soon becomes a close friend of Gordianus, first comes to him with a mystery about a will, a supposed dead young man, and a sighting of the supposedly dead man in A Will is a Way. The Lemures is about two separate households plagued with spirits of the dead, which Gordianus must figure out even as he has his own wits scared out of him. Gordianus’ life is once again put in danger when he is sent to ransom a kidnapped young boy from pirates in Little Caesar and the Pirates. The Disappearance of the Saturnalia Silver once again involves Lucius Claudius and his missing Saturnalia gifts-- this one is solved by Bethesda. In an attempt to get away from the chaos of the city, Lucius Claudius and Gordianus escape to the country in King Bee and Honey, but death and mystery follows. To entertain Lucius Claudius, Gordianus tells him the story of The Alexandian Cat and how he saved the life of a fellow Roman in Egypt after the murder of a sacred cat. Finally, in the namesake story, The House of the Vestals, Gordianus must help Cicero by solving a murder that happened in one of the most sacred buildings of Rome.

I was very eager to read this book because Roman Blood is such a good book and now one of my favorites. When I got The House of the Vestals, I didn’t know it was a novel of short stories until I opened it up. Each story is short enough that it is to the point with no tangents or intertwining plotlines to stray from the one major plot focus, the mystery. Novels can get complex because they require a lot of build up and climax, as well as a lot of details, but short stories need very little of any of that and can get to the point quickly. I like short stories because they are like instant gratification, plus you can sit down and read one in between other things. Sometimes my attention span needs a break.

There are also some good character developments within the short stories. First, there is the introduction of Lucius Claudius, a new character. Second, we get to see how Gordianus and Eco are progressing in their relationship, which is almost father and son. Third, the story Little Caesar and the Piartes tells of how Gordianus got his bodyguard Belbo. And fourth, Bethesda once again shows herself to be more than a mere slave-- indeed, she is quickly showing herself to be the equal of Gordianus and very perceptive. All in all, I just really like Gordianus-- he is realistic, witty, imperfect, and practical. Like Roman Blood, the history is rich and subtle, not shoving facts in your face so much as using them for setting but teaching you about the time nonetheless. If you like short stories and Roman mystery, there is no way that you won’t like The House of the Vestals.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of short stories may not have been the best way to experiment with this series. Perhaps Saylor does a better job when he has time to develop his mystery and his setting in a full-length book, but this collection of stories I found underwhelming.

Its setting in ancient Rome was my sole reason for buying The House of the Vestals, but I don't think the author succeeded in transporting me to this world. After all, the reason for telling a mystery in a different time period is the thrill of a foreign time and place and a set of possibilities that are not available in the present. Part of the thrill of Sherlock Holmes, for instance, is being in Victorian England with its carriages, street lamps, and cobble-stone streets. The House of the Vestals was interesting, but in a here-are-some-neat-things-about-Roman-times sort of way. There are some exceptions. I enjoyed the description of the Saturnalia, for instance, and felt a bit of its fun. I also liked the legendary story of an Egyptian king and his treasure room, as told by Bethesda. But on the whole, I wasn't drawn into Saylor's Rome.

Secondly, there's really not much to say about the detective Gordianus the Finder. He's not particularly insightful--moderately clever, I suppose; he doesn't have any endearing faults or eccentricities; and he's not funny. He's a good man, kind to those around him, but he's boring. Perhaps this is the worst fault by far.

Lastly, the mysteries themselves. Like Gordianus, they are under-developed. Many are predictable, some are fairly clever, but nothing knocked my socks off. Again, no doubt a fault of the format.

In summary, this book didn't deliver. It's not that it was poorly written or badly told. It just didn't pack much of a punch.

But again, it's not fair to judge a series by a book of short mysteries. I plan to revisit Roma Sub Rosa with a full-length mystery, perhaps Arms of Nemesis. Any suggestions?

[Ensiform · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book of stories featuring Gordianus the Finder, set after the first novel in the series and before the second. The stories, presented in chronological order relative to Gordianus:

“Death Wears a Mask" – a tale of murder at the theater

“The Tale Of the Treasure House" – Bethesda tells an Egyptian tale of a courtesan who captured the thief who robbed King Rhampsinitus

“A Will Is a Way" – a story of a fraudulent will and a murder; this story is given a lot of color by the introduction of Lucius Claudius, a bored noble who will become Gordianus’ patron

“The Lemures" – a fun ghost story

“Little Caesar And the Pirates" – possibly the weakest story, as the culprit is obvious and the ending slightly disappointing

“The Disappearance Of the Saturnalia Silver" – a bit of a stretch in the solving but a fun story for its characterizations

“King Bee And Honey" – a clever story with a red herring

“The Alexandrian Cat" – an interesting twist, as Gordianus avenges the death of a cat in Egypt

“The House Of the Vestals" – Gordianus solves a murder at the Temple of the Vestal Virgins; this is the most political (Roman) story, and makes a fine close to the book.

All of the stories were fun to read and at least a little informative. However (as far as I can tell from reading one novel), Gordianus’ world is best experienced in novel format, where sex, violence, and historical backdrops are so much more richly detailed. The short story format seems to focus more on the detecting, which isn’t the main selling point for Gordianus, in my opinion.

[Inês Beato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este livro dedicado a Giordiano, o Descobridor, é um pequeno doce para os amantes da série, já que, através de pequenos contos, o autor dá a conhecer vários pormenores da vida do protagonista no início da sua carreira, tais como o que o levou a adotar Eco, a sua relação com Betesda, como conheceu o seu escravo e guarda-costas Belbo, etc. Todos estes contos estão ainda pautados por acontecimentos históricos reais, que o autor sempre faz questão de entrelaçar nas suas obras e que demonstram um trabalho de pesquisa fascinante. O leitor absorve ainda vários detalhes e informaçoes curiosos do dia-a-dia do povo romano, que em muito enriquecem estas obras.
No entanto, Saylor está no seu melhor quando tem tempo e espaço para desenvolver a história e as personagens, pelo que este livro de contos, apesar de bastante interessante e informativo, fica um pouco aquém das restantes obras, daí as 3.5/5 estrelas.

[Kyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved with these short stories! Short murder mystery stories can go very wrong (boring, predictable or just all over the place), but these were absolutely great. An important factor was, I think, the fact that the victims weren't big political persons or affiliated with them. I think the characters were very well-rounded and their own person which I appreciated greatly.

Happy reading!

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a set of short stories that I found mildly diverting .

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story collection. Each is entertaining, and well written, though I prefer novel length to shorts.

[Rui · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah… Gordiano, o Descobridor… o primeiro detective cínico mas com um profundo sentido de justiça, da história. Admito que esta é sempre uma daquelas personagens que me dá um enorme prazer reencontrar. Não se pode dizer que a escrita de Saylor seja genial (há vários momentos em que é óbvio, por demais, que as personagens estão a falar para dar informações ao leitor e não umas às outras) mas isso é mais que compensado pelos retratos detalhados e vivos que temos de Roma durante os últimos anos da República. Ao fim de poucas páginas conseguimos compreender aquela gente, separada de nós por mais de 2000 anos, como se fossem nossos vizinhos e, ainda mais fantástico que isso, não nos sentimos assim tão distantes deles. Romanos eram gente como nós...com algumas ideias maradas...como nós.

Mas para mim, que já sigo o senhor há uns tempos, o melhor de “A Casa das Vestais” foi voltar a ver Gordiano com os seus trinta e poucos anos, ainda sem responsabilidades familiares e sem a melancolia que o parece ter vindo a acompanhar desde “Rubicão” (e sim, eu detestei essa entrada na série, really).

Estava um pouco preocupado que a fórmula habitual de Saylor (Acontecimento Histórico como Cenário + Mistério + Desenvolvimentos na vida de Gordiano) fosse impossível de manter decentemente em histórias de poucas páginas, mas o facto de aqui não haver, precisamente, um grande evento da história romana no background, mas apenas o dia-a-dia da cidade, acaba por fazer destes contos uma leitura mais agradável do que alguns dos livros mais recentes. Em vários momentos parece que apenas andamos por alí, a passear com o Gordiano, enquanto ele chateia toda a gente com perguntas inconvenientes.

Alguns contos ganharam ainda pontos extra quando ao ler o epílogo descobri que estes, por mais improváveis que parecessem, foram baseados em pequenos casos reais. Diga-se o que se disser o senhor Saylor sabe fazer pesquisa como gente grande.

Quanto aos contos:

“A Morte Anda de Máscara” é um típico mistério em que um desgraçado de um investigador não pode sair de casa para ir ao teatro sem que lhe caia o raio de um cadáver aos pés. A história tem momentos um pouco batidos e a solução não é assim tão difícil, mas este é um dos contos que ganha um pontinho extra por ser (incrivelmente) baseado em personagens e acontecimentos reais. 3/5

“A Lenda da Casa do Tesouro” não é tanto um caso como Betesda (a concubina de Gordiano) a dar uma de Xerazade e a contar-lhe um mistério antigo. O ambiente é agradável e a ideia de um mistério\romance histórico estar a ser contada a uma personagem de um mistério\romance histórico é engraçadinha. A história não dura mais do que devia e encaixa bem na relação das personagens. 3/5

“Um Testamento É Uma Boa Maneira” é um dos melhores contos desta colectânea (embora, ironicamente, tenha um dos piores títulos). O mistério é interessante, não demasiado simples nem demasiado rebuscado. Introduz também Lúcio Cláudio, uma personagem que será importante na vida de Gordiano e que, infelizmente, já estará morta no próximo livro da série cronologicamente falando (yes, Rome was a bitch). A cena na enorme necrópole à saída de Roma é um exemplo de Steven Saylor no seu melhor. Ganha também um ponto extra por ser outra daquelas histórias baseadas em acontecimentos reais. 4/5

“Os Lémures” não é mau (embora me tivesse sido praticamente impossível, a dada altura, não começar a ouvir a musica do Scooby Doo na cabeça). Gordino é chamado para investigar um caso de fantaaaaasmas (e pelo caminho dão-lhe outro caso, não relacionado, de… fantaaaaasmas). A história tem pormenores engraçados e a solução dos dois casos é jeitosinha (principalmente a do velho soldado). Mas vá Saylor, realmente esperas que eu acredite que um gajo vai investigar um caso rebuscado e, subitamente, a caminho, lhe apareça um vizinho a pedir ajuda para um caso também rebuscado com elementos similares? Sorry mas a minha suspensão de descrença não dá para tanto. 3/5

“O Jovem César e Os Piratas”, sim era esse César. E ele aparece… no título… de resto a história tem como pano de fundo um “fanboy” de César que também é raptado por piratas, o Júlio nem vê-lo. A história é mais interessante do que parece e desenvolve-se bem, com um ritmo entre o policial e o thriller que nunca chega a cansar. 4/5

“O Desaparecimento da Prata dos Saturnais”, é um mistério de Natal passado 77 a.C.
Tem muita coisa muito boa, como as descrições dos Saturnais que se festejavam em Roma, de maneira muito similar ao nosso Natal, mas o caso, em si, é um bocado pobrezinho. No fundo não passa de “as prendas de Natal de um gajo rico foram roubadas, quem terá sido o Bigus Grinchus” (Ah, e também há escravo morto…mas isso é de menos…onde raio estarão as prendas?). 3/5

No “A Abelha Mestra e o Mel”, quase que estava à espera que uma jovem Miss Marple aparecesse para dar uma mãozinha a Gordiano. É um crime campestre numa pacata villa. Mas o crime chega tarde e a más horas para uma história de investigação (a menos de 10 páginas do fim, em 35 páginas), até lá só temos gente a passar umas agradáveis férias no campo e pouco mais. (A solução, no entanto, fará qualquer leitor masculino arrepiar, isso prometo). 3/5

“O Gato de Alexandria” é mais uma prequela que outra coisa. Gordiano conta a um amigo como resolveu o homicídio de um gato (serious business no Egipto) quando passou por Alexandria, numa versão da antiguidade de uma viagem de inter-rail, quando era mais novo. Traição, multidões enraivecidas e miúdas irritantes seguem-se. Não é particularmente marcante, mas também não maça. 3/5

“A Casa das Vestais” teria sido um dos mistérios mais interessantes deste livro não fosse o senhor Saylor ter dado um major spoiler num dos seus romances. Em “A Sentença de César” Gordiano recorda-se desta história e praticamente conta a solução tintim por tintim. Sim, isso foi frustrante. Dava para ver que isto era bom, era baseado em factos reais (mais uma vez, surpreendentemente) e tinha todos os elementos para ser um daqueles casos que mantém o leitor agarrado e a coçar a cabeça até à última página. Assim foi só…”meh, eu já sei onde ele está”. Perdeu muito por isso. 3/5

Continuo a dizer que a série Roma Sub Rosa esteve no seu melhor em “Sangue Romano” e “O Abraço de Némesis”, depois disso decai um bocado e nunca se chega a levantar, nem, pelos vistos, com contos, mesmo assim nunca chega a ser má, e vale sempre a pena uma visitinha.

[Chandini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this a wonderful collection of short stories. It's better than the other book of short stories that connect the books Roman Blood and Arm of Nemesis, A Gladiator Dies Only Once. Most of the stories have elements of humor, mystery and history - everything necessary for a great read. Individual reviews and summaries of the stories follow.

In Death Wears a Mask Gordianus takes Eco to see a play for the first time but their day out is interrupted when a murder is committed backstage. I love this story because Eco takes an active part in solving the murder. This story is another example of Gordianus' stubborn desire for the truth no matter who the victim is.

The Tale of the Treasure House is a tale Bethesda tells to Gordianus when he can't sleep one night. It is about a clever man and a more clever woman. An Egyptian king has a treasure house for all his silver built by an architect who barely lives to see the design completed. Soon the king notices that more silver is missing every month when he goes to see his treasure so he has traps set. Yet next time they open the Treasure House there is still more silver missing plus a headless body in the cage. Since the Egyptians had very clearly defined rites for deaths, the king has the headless body displayed in order to catch the family of the thief at least but it disappears too. A young courtesan hears of the problem and thinks she knows the solution but wants to be sure of a sizable reward; so she goes to the king and tells him she has a plan to catch the thief and explain how the silver was stolen but it'll be expensive so if she is successful she wants as much silver as a mule can carry plus a wish. I like this story because it tells you more about Bethesda indirectly. Also it's a different style of mystery than most of the stories involving Gordianus which makes it entertaining in a unusual way. Admittedly this isn't a particularly difficult one to figure out but that doesn't detract much from the pleasure of reading it.

A Will is a Way is the first time Gordianus meets Lucius Claudius, the rotund, cheerful and very bored Patrician who becomes such a good friend to Gordianus. Lucius Claudius seeks help in unraveling strange situation related to a will he was asked to witness for an ostensibly dying young man who Lucius Claudius sees again very much alive. This story is a good mix of humor with Lucius Claudius and darkness with the solution to the mystery. I was particularly amused by a conversation Gordianus has with a prostitute.

The Lemures is probably my favorite story in this book, possibly also my favorite including the stories in A Gladiator Dies Only Once. It has two mysteries which both center around the spirits of the unquiet dead. One case Gordianus takes on for Lucius Claudius' friend who died after seeing a ghost from his past. The lemur doesn't stop after the man dies though, it begins haunting the man's wife. The second case involves Gordianus' neighbor who is a war veteran but is terrified of the spirits he now sees. I love how both mysteries intertwine. The case for Lucius Claudius is a kind of easy to figure out but I had no idea what was going on with Gordianus' neighbor.

Little Caesar and the Pirates is one of Saylor's more cynical stories. Gordianus is hired to deliver a ransom to pirates who have kidnapped a young man. The situation is very similar to a story about Julius Caesar that's on everyone's lips. Caesar had been kidnapped by Sicilian pirates and treated them with contempt, even told them how they were going to be crucified after they released him, but the pirates thought it was very amusing. Unfortunately for them, Caesar was telling the truth; he hunted down the pirates and had them crucified. This is one of the more interesting anecdotes from Caesar's history and makes a great background to a story. Plus we find out how Gordianus got his bodyguard slave Belbo.

The Disappearance of the Saturnalia Silver is a close second for my favorite Steven Saylor short story, behind The Lemures. It's one of the most humorous stories in the book while still giving an interesting look at the Saturnalia festival and a mystery thrown in for good measure. Gordianus visits with his friend Lucius Claudius who has had a lot of silver holiday gifts made for his family, but by the time his family visits the silver is missing and a slave is found dead in the room where the silver was. In keeping with the Saturnalian theme of having slaves served by their masters it is Bethesda who finally solves this mystery.

King Bee and Honey is a story where Gordianus and Eco go to visit his friend Lucius Claudius at Lucius Claudius' Etruscan farm where other less welcome guests also make an appearance. A very passionate couple make Gordianus' stay much less pleasant because of all of their fighting and making up. Soon annoyance turns into tragedy when Gordianus and Lucius Claudius hear a scream and rush to find one of the unwelcome guests laying dead next to the stream. This isn't exactly my favorite story but it isn't bad either. It's just one of the more simple mysteries. It does help to introduce you to the farm that Gordianus will inherit in Catalina's Riddle though.

The Alexandrian Cat is a story set in Egypt when Gordianus was a young man traveling the world. Gordianus sees an Alexandrian mob chasing another Roman man for killing a cat. I love these views into Gordianus' early life, luckily Steven Saylor has written a new series all about the young Gordianus. This is also a fascinating look at the everyday side of ancient Egyptian religion.

House of the Vestals is our first introduction to Lucius Sergius Catalina, a major historical figure and main character in Catalina's Riddle. Gordianus is called in to investigate when a dead man is found in a Vestal Virgin's room... along with a live man and the Vestal Virgin herself. It is sacrilege punishable by death for a man to enter the House of the Vestals at night and if a Vestal Virgin is found guilty of breaking her vows of chastity she is buried alive for the goddess Vesta to decide whether she should live or die. I love this story but wish it had been expanded into its own book/novella or at least appended to Catalina's Riddle. It just feels a little compressed. It's another interesting look at ancient Roman religion and a well thought out mystery.

[Anibal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The short story length isn’t properly a friend to mystery fiction. The author faces the dilemma of providing a too obvious plot or on the other end a completely impossible mystery for the reader to try to solve by his own. This situation is unfortunately present in these short stories, but Steven Saylor is probably the finest historical fiction novelist I‘ve read, and his main character – Gordianus – and supporting cast are all brilliant. So the main strength of this book is giving more flesh to the characters that we’ve known for some years. How they met and how was their relationship developed.

The stories are good and it’s unbelievable how, even with short stories, the author can provide massive amounts of information on late Roman Republic life in a way that is fun and informative! We travel in time for a Saturnalia “murder” mystery, the mysterious death of a young country man, the tabloid event of Catilina and the vestal, the sacrilege of the murder of a cat in Alexandria, the kidnaping of a young noble patrician, among other interesting stories.

[Vicki Kondelik · Rating 5 out of 5]

The House of the Vestals is a collection of nine short stories by Steven Saylor, featuring his ancient Roman detective, Gordianus the Finder. The stories take place between 80 and 72 BCE and fill in the gap between the first two novels in the series, Roman Blood and Arms of Nemesis. In this collection, you see Gordianus’ adopted son, a mute boy named Eco, grow up and help him solve some of the cases. Gordianus’ Jewish-Egyptian slave and mistress, Bethesda, also plays a prominent role. We also learn how Gordianus met some of the regular characters in the series, including his aristocratic friend Lucius Claudius and his bodyguard Belbo. Historical figures such as Cicero and his future enemy Catilina make appearances, and one story was inspired by an incident where the young Julius Caesar was kidnapped by pirates.

In reading the stories, you learn a lot about the customs of ancient Rome, including the theater, the belief in ghosts, and the traditions of Saturnalia, the Romans’ winter solstice holiday. Characters from the entire spectrum of Roman society, from aristocrats to slaves, are featured. In the last story, which is the title story, readers learn about the Vestal Virgins and the punishment they faced if they broke their vows. Several of the stories are based on actual cases that Cicero defended in court. The mysteries themselves are not terribly difficult to solve. In fact, Bethesda solves one of them as soon as Gordianus tells her what happened. But they make for very entertaining reading. I would suggest, though, that you begin the series with either Roman Blood or the prequels that Saylor has been writing recently about the young Gordianus, the first of which is The Seven Wonders. Also, the afterword contains spoilers for later books in the series. For fans of the series, though, The House of the Vestals is not to be missed.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories about Gordanius the Finder (AKA detective) was chosen to fulfill a prompt in one of my reading challenges: read a book set in. Mediterranean country. Gordanius is a resident and citizen of Rome ( can’t any better than Rome, Italy, for a Mediterranean setting). His creator, Steven Saylor, has given him an historical time rife with such Roman citizens as Cicero, Sulla, and Julius Caesar, to mention a few, and ripe for for stories of mysteries and intrigue. Saylor does a great job in being true to Roman life, customs and mores as well as being accurate to the historical context in which these stories take place. While I hadn’t anticipated the book was a series of short stories I actually enjoyed reading them, though I still perfect a novel. A highly enjoyable read.

[Waldir F. Reccanello · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cada livro, a vida e as histórias de Gordiano, o Descobridor, vão ficando melhores. Neste, que engloba vários acontecimentos havidos entre "Sangue Romano" e "O abraço de Nêmesis", o autor Steven Saylor nos aproxima ainda mais de nosso herói, de sua ainda pequena família e de seu ainda menor círculo de amizades, trazendo-nos a origem de seu relacionamento com Lúcio Cláudio (um cliente que virou um grande amigo), a forma deliciosa como ele se relaciona com sua "escrava" Betesda (que adoça e inferniza a vida) e sua admirável relação com o filho adotivo Eco, que desde pequeno demonstra uma inteligência e uma sagacidade ainda mais agudas que a de Gordiano, já indicando a profissão que, no futuro, herdará do pai. Em pequenos e rápidos contos, cada um relacionado a um crime a ser desvendado, Roma se mostra, como sempre, bela e corrupta, como somente a capital do mundo soube ser.

[Shoggothey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Powrót do Gordianusa Poszukiwacza w mojej opinii niezbyt udany. Dostajemy kilka niezależnych od siebie opowieści, które mają potencjał na pełnoprawną powieść, ale zajmują po kilkadziesiąt stron, przez co ich akcja jest strasznie spłycona i nie porywa. Oczywiście nie są to opowiadania złe, Steven Saylor pisze ciekawie, ma specyficzny syl, który nawet w opowiadaniach niekoniecznie dobrych jest w pewien sposób przyjemny, co nie zmienia faktu, że prawdziwy potencjał tego jak pisze ujrzymy raczej w powieściach, a nie opowiadaniach.

Postaci są elementem nadającym tej książce największą wartość. Zagadki kryminalne czasami okropnie banalne i bezsensowne są maskowane albo Gordianusem, albo jego adoptowanym synem, Bethesdą czy znajomymi głównego bohatera.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd say that Gordianus stories are more suited for novels, they allow for more serpentine plots and the the characters and themes to manifest gradually in a way I quite enjoy. That said, and even if several of the stories seemed rather elementary, I'm always glad to go on a journey with Gordianus, sightseeing and hearing his thoughts along the way.

I also rather liked getting a chance to spend more time with Eco as a youth. His relationship with his adopted father is pretty straightforward, but heartwarming. Gordianus has a more complex relationship with his other children, which is well and good, but I enjoyed getting some glimpses of that skipped time filled in a bit before Eco was grown.